Chocolate dipped almond biscotti make a great gift and holiday treat. I make biscotti all the time and it is my favorite cookie. Biscotti are Italian cookies and the word biscotti means twice baked. Twice baked is what gives biscotti its crunchiness. While these cookies are crunchy they are not as hard as some typical biscotti.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a cookie sheet.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and sugar.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add vegetable oil, 3 eggs, and almond extract.
5. Beat with a hand mixer until combined.
6. Stir in slivered almonds.
7. Form two logs or loafs with the dough and place on the cookie sheet. The mixture will be sticky. I suggest wetting your hands when forming the logs. It makes it easier to deal with the dough.
8. Brush the remaining egg on to the dough to provide some shine.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes.
11. Cut into slices after cooling.
12. Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
13. Allow the cookies to cool.
14. Melt chocolate over a double boiler. The chocolate candy melts can be purchased at candy supply stores or craft supply stores.
15. Dip one half of each cookie in the melted chocolate.
16. Place on wax paper either on a cookie sheet or plate.
17. Allow to freeze for 10 minutes for chocolate to harden.

To get ready for the holidays I will start making them in the beginning of December and freeze them. If you will be freezing these cookies hold off on dipping them in chocolate until ready to serve. You do not want to dip these in chocolate and then freeze for a long period of time. Condensation will begin to form.